Review by New York Times Review
FROM "TESTING THE ICE" THE TRUE GIFT A Christmas Story. By Patricia MacLachlan. Illustrated by Brian Floca. Atheneum. $12.99. (Ages 7 and up) On their annual visit to their grandparents' farm, a brother and sister are saddened to see the obviously lonely White Cow on her own in a pasture. (MacLachlan, the Newbery Medalwinning author of "Sarah, Plain and Tall," neatly begins the story from the cow's point of view.) How the brother uses his Christmas money to find White Cow some friends, and how his sister, the narrator, feels about that, shapes the affecting and almost dreamlike happy ending. THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Marshall Cavendish. $16.99. (Ages 4 to 8) Along with the verses of this durable carol, a note provides background: though some believe the song holds "hidden Christian meanings" (with the partridge as Jesus), on the surface the growing list of fantastic items makes more sense as a children's memory game (another theory). Either way, Spirin's opulent illustrations perfectly suit the French hens, milking maids and golden rings. THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER By Glenn Beck. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Aladdin/Mercury Radio Arts. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 7) It's Christmas Eve and a boy is dreaming of a shiny new bicycle. Instead he's told he'll get a sweater knitted by his mother, and is crestfallen; but with his parents standing by, in the end he gets both the sweater and the bike. Strangely, this book is adapted from Beck's novel of the same name, in which a widow dies in a car accident and her son overcomes his bitterness with the help of just the sweater. Along the way, a message seems to have gotten mixed. TESTING THE ICE A True Story About Jackie Robinson. By Sharon Robinson. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Scholastic. $16.99. (Ages 7 to 10) Jackie Robinson's daughter builds a charming story around a childhood memory: the time her father stepped out on their frozen pond to test the ice for the first skating of the season. You see friends and family waiting anxiously, since they know he can't swim. (Nelson's close-ups expertly provide suspense as the ice goes "Boom!" - but holds.) With the basics of his biography efficiently woven in, this is a lovely introduction to a baseball legend. THE TEEN VOGUE HANDBOOK An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion. Razorbill. $24.95. (Ages 12 and up) This book isn't quite what you expect: it's not about modeling or makeup, but a how-to for teenagers who are genuinely interested in fashion and want to know how the business works. True, the profiles of people like Marc Jacobs are inherently glamorous, but the advice of the designers, editors and other insiders is refreshingly practical for the just-starting-out. Here's the photographer Mario Testino on the ideal assistant: "humble, funny and well mannered," putting "no limit" on how much he or she is willing to work. Real-world advice for would-be fashion stars in tough times. FROM "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" ALEX RIDER Crocodile Tears. By Anthony Horowitz. Philomel/Penguin. $17.99. (Ages 10 and up) Alex Rider's eighth adventure is one of his most ingenious, and if suitably over the top for MI6's sole teenage spy, it puts him in a world adults might recognize, with high-rolling bad guys and charities that turn out to be scams (the apt subtitle also foreshadows a terrific scary scene alongside an infested African river). The highlight is an escape from atop a gigantic dam as the wall is bursting and bullets and spears are flying. You'll have to read to find out how. JULIE JUST
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 20, 2009]
Review by Booklist Review
Alex Rider, teenage British secret service agent, returns. This time, a wealthy villain schemes to make millions by creating disasters and then pocketing the money from false relief agencies. Alex discovers the bad guy's plan to cause famine in Africa, but he is able to expose the fake philanthropist, although he is nearly fed to hungry crocs in the process. Horowitz's series remains on top of the growing genre of YA novels that feature intelligence agencies employing teenagers. He knows how to pace a thriller and delivers one exciting scene after another. Alex Rider fans will rejoice.--Morning, Todd Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-In Anthony Horowitz's latest Alex Rider adventure (Philomel, 2009), the teen spy for the British intelligence agency, M16, must download files from a botanical genetic engineering company that is up to no good. His mission pits him against a crook/political leader turned evangelist/philanthropist who leads First Aid, an organization whose motto is always to be the first to respond to world disasters, even if it means creating them in the first place. Alex discovers that First Aid plans to create a deadly plague in Kenya using genetically engineered wheat. To save millions of lives, he must put a stop to this plan, but first he must escape an encounter with crocodiles. Simon Prebble does an excellent job of narrating this fast-paced, exciting story in his clear British accent, giving each character a unique voice. An excellent selection for reluctant readers, especially boys.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
